Tuning peg for musical instruments



Feb 18, 1941. H, HARVEY 2,232,453

TUNING PEG FOR MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS Filed May 27, 1940 2 1A Am" I ENTOR ATTORNEYS Patented Feb. 18, 1941 UNITED STATES PATENT, OFFICE.

2 Claims.

This invention relates to tuning pegs for musical instruments.

One object of this invention is to provide a remote means to release a string from its seat.

Another object is to provide a slidably mounted spring impelled plunger for preventing frequent adjustment of the peg to retain the desired pitch of the string.

A further object of the invention is to provide a push button control disposed to be operated at the peg handle for removal or replacement of the string.

A further object is to provide apparatus of this character which will be formed of a few strong simple and durable parts, which will be inexpensive to manufacture, and which will not easily get out of order.

With the above and other objects in view the invention consists of certain novel details of construction and combinations of parts hereinafter fully described and claimed, it being understood that various modifications may be resorted to within the scope of the appended claims without departing from the spirit or sacrificing any of the advantages of the invention.

In the accompanying drawing forming a part of this specification:

Figure 1 is a side elevation of the tuning peg.

Figure 2 is a longitudinal section of the tuning peg showing the plunger normally impelled to abut the string seat, taken on the line 22 of Figure 1.

Figure 3 is a longitudinal section of the tuning peg taken on the line 3-3 of Figure 2.

Figure 4 is an end view of the head end of the tuning peg'.

Figure 5 is a transverse section taken on the line 5-5 of Figure 3 drawn to large scale.

Referring now to the drawing in which like characters of reference designate similar parts in the various views, a tuning peg ID for musical instruments is provided with a circular and flattened head H, whereby the peg may be rotated. The peg is provided with a progressively tapered portion [2 which, when the peg is rotated, is adapted to receive the convolutions of a musical string, not shown. Formed in the tapered portion is a transverse aperture I3 which extends laterally through the tapered portion and to offset laterally from the longitudinal axis of the tapered portion. The aperture [3 is adapted to receive one end of the string and forms a string seat.

The head H and tapered portion 12 are provided with a longitudinal bore M which communicates with a relatively larger longitudinal bore I5. The bore I5 is closed by a plug l6 at the free extremity of the tapered portion l2. The large bore [5 houses a helical compression spring I! which is secured at one end by a trans- 5 verse pin l8 which is disposed transversely through the tapered portion 12. The spring expands against a plunger [9 which is slidably mounted within the large bore [5 and impels the plunger l9 toward the string seat l3 disposed 10 at the junction of the bores l4 and I5.

The plunger [9 is provided with serrations 20 on its end remote from the spring I! for engagement with the musical string. The serrated end 20 is pushed away from the string seat 13 through 15 the medium of a push rod 2| which is extended through the longitudinal bore l4 and is secured in an axial bore in the plunger by a pin 9.

Motion is transmitted to the plunger [9 by pressing on a push button 22 which has a tubular flange 23 to receive the free end of the rod 2|. Upon release of the push button 22 the plunger is returned to the string seat by the expansion of the helical spring IT.

A resilient bushing 24 is disposed within a 25 counter bore 25 bored in the bead II, and the bushing receives the flange 23 of the push button when the push button 22 is pressed outward to move the plunger against the helical spring ll.

In operation the push button 22'is pushed to shift the plunger back from the string seat. Then the musical string is passed through the aperture l3. Then the pressure on the push button is released whereupon the helical spring I! impels the plunger H! to engage its serrated end 20 with the string and clamp the string to the string seat while the peg I0 is rotated by the head I l to wind convolutions of the string on the tapered portion [2.

From the above description it is thought that the construction and operation of the invention will be fully understood Without further explanation.

What is claimed is:

1. A tuning device for stringed musical instruments comprising, a peg flattened at one end and tapered progressively at the other end from the flattened end, said flattened and tapered end having a longitudinal bore uniformly enlarged adjacent the small extremity of the tapered end, there being a transverse string receiving aperture at the inner end of the enlarged bore, a plunger slidably mounted in said enlarged bore having a serrated end, an operating rod extending through the longitudinal bore secured to the serrated end of the plunger, a plug closing the enlarged bore at the tapered extremity of the peg, a compression spring in the enlarged bore disposed against the plug adapted to urge the serrated end of the plunger to engage said string seat, and a push button connected to the plunger for transmitting motion to the plunger to compress said spring and release the plunger from the string seat.

2. A tuning peg having a tapered portion provided with a small longitudinal bore terminating in a relatively larger bore intermediate of its length, said tapered portion having a transverse string receiving aperture at the junction of the small and large bores, a plunger slidably mounted in the large bore having a serrated inner end, a push rod extending through said small bore and secured to the plunger, and a compression spring within the large bore expanding against the plunger to urge the serrated end thereof toward said string receiving aperture.

HOMER A. HARVEY. 

